Players in Japan 2011/12

[psychic duck]

Coca Cola West Red Sparks
Angus MacDonald - Lock - New Zealand - 2 caps
Jonny Fa'amatuainu - Flanker - Samoa - 12 caps
Tim Bateman - Centre - New Zealand
Lelea Paea - Centre - Australia

Honda Heat
Hayden Triggs - Lock - New Zealand
Daniel Linde - Flanker - Australia
Rodney So'oialo - Number 8 - New Zealand - 62 caps
Tyrone Smith - Centre - Australia
Tapuosikoto Pongi - Wing - Tonga
Joe Gardener - Full Back - Portugal - 13 caps

Kinetsu Liners
Lua Lokotui - Lock - Tonga - 8 caps
Fa'atonu Fili - Fly Half - Samoa - 5 caps
Jeffrey Ierome - Centre - New Zealand
Rico Gear - Wing - New Zealand - 19 caps

Kobelco Steelers
Scott MacLeod - Lock - Scotland - 24 caps
Josh Blackie - Flanker - New Zealand
Pasuka Mapakaitolo - Number 8 - Tonga - 3 caps
Peter Grant - Fly Half - South Africa - 5 caps
Jason Kawau - Centre - New Zealand
Fraser Anderson - Wing - New Zealand

NEC Green Rockets
Sungku Park - Prop - South Korea
Hottie Louw - Lock - South Africa - 3 caps
Dean Budd - Flanker - New Zealand
Nili Latu - Flanker - Tonga - 22 caps
Cameron McIntyre - Fly Half - New Zealand
Anthony Tuitavake - Centre - New Zealand - 6 caps
Nemani Nadolo - Wing - Fiji - 3 caps

NTT Shining Arcs
Isaac Ross - Lock - New Zealand - 8 caps
Taka Crawford Aston - Flanker - New Zealand
Fotu Auelua - Number 8 - New Zealand
Darren Murphy - Number 8 - Australia
JP Nel - Centre - South Africa
Craig Wing - Centre - Australia
Sosene Anesi - Full Back - New Zealand - 1 cap

NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes
Mitchell Chapman - Lock - Australia
Steven Setephano - Flanker - New Zealand
Hamish Gard - Fly Half - New Zealand
Mils Muliaina - Full Back - New Zealand - 100 caps

Panasonic Sanyo Wild Knights
Daniel Heenan - Lock - Australia - 2 caps
Hamish Paterson - Flanker - New Zealand
Hendrik Tui - Number 8 - New Zealand
Mike Delany - Fly Half - New Zealand -1 cap
Nicholas Ealey - Centre - New Zealand
Jaque Fourie - Centre - South Africa - 69 caps
Sam Norton-Knight - Australia - 2 caps

Ricoh Black Rams
Emosi Kauhenga - Lock - Tonga - 10 caps
James Haskell - Flanker - England - 42 caps
Michael Broadhurst - Number 8 - New Zealand
Tamati Ellison - Fly Half - New Zealand - 1 cap
Ma'a Nonu - Centre - New Zealand - 66 caps
Roy Kinikinilau - Wing - New Zealand

Suntory Sungoliath
Danie Rossouw - Lock - South Africa - 63 caps
Todd Clever - Flanker - USA - 40 caps
George Smith - Flanker- Australia - 110 caps
Fourie du Preez - Scrum Half - South Africa - 62 caps
Tusi Pisi - Fly Half - Samoa - 6 caps
Peter Hewat - Full Back - Australia

Toshiba Fuchu Brave Lupus
Daiuke Estrella - Prop - USA
Bernie Upton - Lock - New Zealand
Steven Bates - Flanker - New Zealand - 1 cap
David Hill - Fly Half - New Zealand - 1 cap
Neil Brew - Centre - New Zealand

Toyota Verblitz
Api Naikatini - Lock - Fiji
Hayden Hopgood - Flanker - New Zealand
Orene Ai'i - Fly Half - New Zealand
Stephen Alan - Fly Half - Australia
Stephen Brett - Fly Half - New Zealand
Brett Gillespie - Centre - Australia
Steven Yates - Centre - New Zealand

Yamaha Jubilo
Deryck Thomas - Lock - Fiji - 3 caps
Jerry Collins - Flanker - New Zealand - 48 caps
Mose Tuiali'i - Number 8 - New Zealand - 9 caps
Male Sau - Centre - New Zealand
Tane Tu'ipulotu - Centre - New Zealand

 

[M Two One]

The Top League has grown a lot over the past few seasons and this one is likely to be the best yet. I mean sure some of those players are starting to go over the hill, but in Japan they're still powerhouses. Suntory should improve on their previous season position, but I wonder how much longer Brave Lupus and the Wild Knights will dominate.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

wow, there are some big names in there, i just hope these guys arn't just taking the place of a local and are actuay trying to coach the locals

 

[dan-the-man]

Coca Cola West Red Sparks
Angus MacDonald - Lock - New Zealand - 2 caps
Jonny Fa'amatuainu - Flanker - Samoa - 12 caps
Tim Bateman - Centre - New Zealand
Lelea Paea - Centre - Australia

Honda Heat
Hayden Triggs - Lock - New Zealand
Daniel Linde - Flanker - Australia
Rodney So'oialo - Number 8 - New Zealand - 62 caps
Tyrone Smith - Centre - Australia
Tapuosikoto Pongi - Wing - Tonga
Joe Gardener - Full Back - Portugal - 13 caps

Kinetsu Liners
Lua Lokotui - Lock - Tonga - 8 caps
Fa'atonu Fili - Fly Half - Samoa - 5 caps
Jeffrey Ierome - Centre - New Zealand
Rico Gear - Wing - New Zealand - 19 caps

Kobelco Steelers
Scott MacLeod - Lock - Scotland - 24 caps
Josh Blackie - Flanker - New Zealand
Pasuka Mapakaitolo - Number 8 - Tonga - 3 caps
Peter Grant - Fly Half - South Africa - 5 caps
Jason Kawau - Centre - New Zealand
Fraser Anderson - Wing - New Zealand

NEC Green Rockets
Sungku Park - Prop - South Korea
Hottie Louw - Lock - South Africa - 3 caps
Dean Budd - Flanker - New Zealand
Nili Latu - Flanker - Tonga - 22 caps
Cameron McIntyre - Fly Half - New Zealand
Anthony Tuitavake - Centre - New Zealand - 6 caps
Nemani Nadolo - Wing - Fiji - 3 caps

NTT Shining Arcs
Isaac Ross - Lock - New Zealand - 8 caps
Taka Crawford Aston - Flanker - New Zealand
Fotu Auelua - Number 8 - New Zealand
Darren Murphy - Number 8 - Australia
JP Nel - Centre - South Africa
Craig Wing - Centre - Australia
Sosene Anesi - Full Back - New Zealand - 1 cap

NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes
Mitchell Chapman - Lock - Australia
Steven Setephano - Flanker - New Zealand
Hamish Gard - Fly Half - New Zealand
Mils Muliaina - Full Back - New Zealand - 100 caps

Panasonic Sanyo Wild Knights
Daniel Heenan - Lock - Australia - 2 caps
Hamish Paterson - Flanker - New Zealand
Hendrik Tui - Number 8 - New Zealand
Mike Delany - Fly Half - New Zealand -1 cap
Nicholas Ealey - Centre - New Zealand
Jaque Fourie - Centre - South Africa - 69 caps
Sam Norton-Knight - Australia - 2 caps

Ricoh Black Rams
Emosi Kauhenga - Lock - Tonga - 10 caps
James Haskell - Flanker - England - 42 caps
Michael Broadhurst - Number 8 - New Zealand
Tamati Ellison - Fly Half - New Zealand - 1 cap
Ma'a Nonu - Centre - New Zealand - 66 caps
Roy Kinikinilau - Wing - New Zealand

Suntory Sungoliath
Danie Rossouw - Lock - South Africa - 63 caps
Todd Clever - Flanker - USA - 40 caps
George Smith - Flanker- Australia - 110 caps
Fourie du Preez - Scrum Half - South Africa - 62 caps
Tusi Pisi - Fly Half - Samoa - 6 caps
Peter Hewat - Full Back - Australia

Toshiba Fuchu Brave Lupus
Daiuke Estrella - Prop - USA
Bernie Upton - Lock - New Zealand
Steven Bates - Flanker - New Zealand - 1 cap
David Hill - Fly Half - New Zealand - 1 cap
Neil Brew - Centre - New Zealand

Toyota Verblitz
Api Naikatini - Lock - Fiji
Hayden Hopgood - Flanker - New Zealand
Orene Ai'i - Fly Half - New Zealand
Stephen Alan - Fly Half - Australia
Stephen Brett - Fly Half - New Zealand
Brett Gillespie - Centre - Australia
Steven Yates - Centre - New Zealand

Yamaha Jubilo
Deryck Thomas - Lock - Fiji - 3 caps
Jerry Collins - Flanker - New Zealand - 48 caps
Mose Tuiali'i - Number 8 - New Zealand - 9 caps
Male Sau - Centre - New Zealand
Tane Tu'ipulotu - Centre - New Zealand

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Am I the only one that thinks the Japanese teams have the best freakin names of all time?

 

[Amobokoboko]

Didn't know Isaac Ross left as well. Will he return for the S15 season?

 

[Jayatron]

A few good names in there, and a few not so well known names. I noticed the Portuguese international in there. Interesting stuff.

Surely though having players like Ross, Haskell and MacLeod will help Japanese rugby as a whole? Is there anywhere we could watch a few games?

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Didn't know Isaac Ross left as well. Will he return for the S15 season?

Nope.

 

[Ma'a Nonu Junior]

Whatever happened to Hopgood? He was looking promising there for a while

 

[Seaton]

Am I the only one that thinks the Japanese teams have the best freakin names of all time?

Nope, Sungoliath and Shining Arcs strike me as such awesome names, I nearly...


And Pieter Louw would make an awesome pirate, please somone photoshop one of his pictures?

I successfully posted a pic... We're All DOOOMMEEDD!!!

 

[M Two One]

I like a few of the names like Black Rams, Brave Lupus and Sungoliath, but that's about it.

 

[Me 1]

I like a few of the names like Black Rams, Brave Lupus and Sungoliath, but that's about it.

My personal favourite is the Verblitz, but Sungoliath sounds awful.

 

[Scan]

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks. What a mouthful! The Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars where in the Top League a few years back, that's a pretty cool name. Coca-Cola is the best though.

 

[Hinato]

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks. What a mouthful! The Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars where in the Top League a few years back, that's a pretty cool name. Coca-Cola is the best though.

Yokogawa Musashino has suffered this season.Four suspended game because one of their players had insulted an opponent(in relation tothe tsunami, the player was insulting lost several family members), the club finished second last A Eastern League, just a head IBM.The club was saved by beating Meiji Life InsurancedamYasuda(2nd league 2011/2012 B).Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars and IBM, two former clubsTop League,are very poor lyright now.Not to mention SecCom Rugguts is lost in Eastern League B. ..